Hunar Sikhiya Schools: Transforming Vocational Education in Punjab
The Department of School Education is launching an innovative program called Hunar Sikhiya Schools (HSS), also known as Schools of Applied Learning (SoAL), in select government schools starting in the 2025-26 academic year. This initiative is designed to enhance skill-based education, focusing on industry-relevant skills to better prepare students for employment or further education.
Key Features of the Hunar Sikhiya Schools Program
- New Scheme of Studies: The program will introduce a revised scheme of studies for four existing vocational trades.
- Industry Exposure: Students will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience through internships, field visits, and other forms of industry engagement.
- Infrastructure Facilities: The program will invest in specialized spaces tailored to the practical requirements of each vocational trade. For example, Beauty and Wellness trades will have fully equipped beauty labs to provide hands-on training in a salon-like environment, ensuring students receive industry-aligned training in a professional setting.
Implementation Details
- Launch Year: The program will be launched in the 2025-26 academic year.
- Trade Offerings: Each school will offer up to two SoAL trades. A school-wise list of trades is available in Annexure 1.
- Trade Specializations: The program is designed to allow students to specialize in one of the following four trades:
- Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)
- Digital Design and Development (DDD)
- Beauty and Wellness (BW)
- Healthcare Sciences & Services (HSS)
- Compulsory Courses: In addition to the trade-specific subjects, the program will include four compulsory courses aimed at building essential soft and hard skills:
- Functional English: Enhancing spoken and written English proficiency
- Career Foundation Course: Covering workplace soft skills, CV creation, communication, financial literacy, and legal literacy
- Technology in Everyday Life: Training students on writing professional emails, creating work plans, and other essential digital skills
- Punjabi: Enhancing proficiency in Punjabi
- Subject Schema: Students selecting a trade will study a total of seven subjects, including four compulsory subjects and three vocational subjects related to their chosen trade.
Changes to the Academic Year 2025-26
- Admissions: Admissions/enrollment of students in the vocational trades under this program will occur in Class 11 only for the 2025-26 academic year.
- Class-wise Changes:
- Classes 9 and 10 will have no changes in the 2025-26 academic year.
- Class 11 will introduce the Hunar Sikhiya Schools program for the four trades mentioned earlier.
- Class 12 will also remain unchanged in 2025-26. However, students admitted in Class 11 will move to Class 12 in the 2026-27 academic year, and the Hunar Sikhiya program will be extended to Class 12 at that time.
- Replacement of Old Schemes: The Hunar Sikhiya Schools scheme will replace the old vocational scheme for the four corresponding trades.
- NSQF Integration: The National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) scheme for Beauty and Wellness, BFSI, and Healthcare will be integrated into the Hunar Sikhiya Scheme.
- Digital Design and Development: In schools where Digital Design and Development is offered alongside an existing NSQF IT/ITes trade, admissions will be conducted separately for both trades.
- Continuation of Other Trades: Any other old vocational or NSQF trade currently running in a school, such as Tourism & Hospitality, Electrical, or Horticulture, will continue as is.
Specific Trade Changes
- BFSI: The old vocational trades of Insurance, Taxation Practice, and Banking & Financial Services will be replaced by BFSI under the Hunar Sikhiya Schools program. Business Correspondent under NSQF will be studied by students along with new subjects.
- Beauty & Wellness: The old Beauty & Wellness trade will be replaced by Beauty & Wellness under Hunar Sikhiya Schools. Beauty Therapist under NSQF will be studied by students along with two new subjects.
- Healthcare Services: The old Healthcare Services trade will be replaced by Healthcare Sciences and Services (HSS) under Hunar Sikhiya Schools. General Duty Assistant under NSQF will be studied by all students, along with one new subject (Biology).
- Digital Design and Development: The Computer Sciences trade will be replaced by Digital Design and Development.
Outreach and Admissions
- Student Awareness: Schools are required to make students aware of the Hunar Sikhiya School program, especially as they make decisions about their streams after Class 10.
- Counseling: Students must receive counseling regarding job and career pathways associated with this program. Admissions in a trade will be based on students' interest and aptitude for vocational education.
- Teacher Coordinator: School principals must appoint a teacher coordinator per school to manage operations, outreach, admissions, counseling, and other related functions for the program.
- Enrollment Limits: The number of students enrolled in each vocational trade will be limited:
- Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance: Approximately 25 students
- Beauty & Wellness: Approximately 25 students
- Healthcare Sciences and Services: Approximately 25 students
- Digital Design and Development: Approximately 20 students
Teacher Availability
- Existing Teachers: Teachers of old vocational trades similar to the Hunar Sikhiya School trades will teach the subjects under the new program.
- NSQF Teachers: Teachers of NSQF trades similar to the Hunar Sikhiya School trades will continue to teach their relevant NSQF subjects, which will now be part of the new vocational trade.
- Additional Teachers: Existing English, Biology, and Punjabi teachers in the school will also teach these subjects for the Hunar Sikhiya Schools program.
- Teacher Allocation: School principals are responsible for planning teacher allocation to meet the needs of these new vocational trades until more teachers are provided.
List of Schools
The document includes a list of 40 Schools of Applied Learning for the 2025-26 academic year, detailing the trades offered at each school.
This initiative by the Department of School Education aims to significantly enhance vocational education, providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers and further education.
